This fabulous tea is one of the finest examples of a Chinese black tea available on the market. Professional tasters praise this tea for its exceptionally fresh, sweetish infusion, pure, thick nose, and bright golden cup.

This fabulous tea is one of the finest examples of a Chinese black tea available on the market. A tea producer named Mr. Huyincai who worked in the district of Panyong in Fuan City, Fujian Province. In 1851 while making a routine inspection of his tea plants, Mr. Huyincai noticed a small section that seemed to be producing leaf of exceptional quality. Mr. Huyincai regarded this exceptional crop as a gift from Mother Nature and decided that it should be processed in a new and unique way. He plucked the leaf and decided to allow it to ferment before firing it a process that turned the leaf black. While this technique of its own is not unique, Mr. Huyincai also developed a complicated production procedure that resulted in a tea so special he decided to name it 9 Bend Black Dragon.

Unfortunately, not much about his complicated production procedure is known, since the details of it are judiciously guarded by a handful of people in Fuan City to this day. What is known about this tea is that the name is both derived from the lucky 9 Bend River that flowed through his birth place of Wuyishan (9 is a lucky number in China), and the symbol of the black Dragon, long considered lucky in China. Within a short time his tea had won just about every award there was to be won throughout China and Europe. As its popularity grew, the tea came to be regarded as a precious gift amongst the nobility and ruling classes of both places. Mr. Huyincai was a lso blessed with brains and so reinvested his newfound wealth back into his factory and started the operation that produces his tea to this day.

As in the days of Mr. Huyincai, 9 Bend Black Dragon which goes by the production name of Panyong Needle is only produced in the district of Panyong in Fuan City. Production totals these days are around 50 tons annually and the tea is still regarded by traders as one of Fujian's finest exports. Professional tasters praise this tea for its exceptionally fresh, sweetish infusion, pure, thick nose, and bright golden cup.

Brewing Instructions: Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 8 ounces of water in the teapot or cup and pour in the boiling water. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Add milk and sugar to taste if desired.